Why Are Fireflies Disappearing From the Hudson Valley?

It's not your imagination. There are less lightning bugs in the Hudson Valley than there used to be.

Many people have fond memories of warm summer nights from their youth, playing outside and chasing after fireflies. Thanks to video games and the Internet, there are fewer kids playing outside. But the reason for the decline in the firefly population is a bit more complicated.

According to firefly.org there are several reasons why we don't see as many lightning bugs as we did a decade ago. Pesticides used to keep our lawns green and weed free have been known to kill off large numbers of the glowing insects. Fireflies also thrive in wide open fields. Thanks to massive development in the Hudson Valley, there are fewer and fewer wide open spaces. Lightning bugs have been basically driven out of town by new construction.

Large floodlights have also contributed to the mass exodus of fireflies in the Hudson Valley. Because the insects rely on flashing their lights to communicate, lightning bugs are leaving neighborhoods with streetlights and homes that light their yards with solar lanterns that stay on all evening long.